Showtime is taking us through decades of East Wing drama in its new historical drama The First Lady, with idols of the screen playing icons of the political scene. Oscar winner Viola Davis plays Michelle Obama, Golden Globe winner Michelle Pfeiffer plays Betty Ford, and Emmy winner Gillian Anderson plays Eleanor Roosevelt.
In a synopsis for The First Lady, which debuts on Sunday, April 17, Showtime calls the series a “revelatory reframing of American leadership,” told from the perspective of some of the White House’s most famous residents.
“In the government’s East Wing, many of history’s most impactful and world-changing decisions have been hidden from view, made by America’s charismatic, complex and dynamic First Ladies,” the premium cabler adds. “The series peels back the curtain on the personal and political lives of three unique, enigmatic women and their families, tracing their journeys to Washington, dipping into their pasts and following them past the White House into their greatest moments.”
And The First Lady proves that these women’s stories are not to be overshadowed by their presidential spouses. As Anderson’s Eleanor Roosevelt tells the 32nd commander-in-chief in one scene, “You are the husband of a wife who has a mind and a life of her own.”
Scroll down to see the stars of The First Lady alongside the real-life first ladies and U.S. presidents they portray.
The First Lady, Series Premiere, Sunday, April 17, 9/8c, Showtime